Visit
by Gilari
Summary: Abby visits Kate and has something very important to tell her. Spoilers for season 5


Abby sat down on the dirt, heedless of the stares she was getting from the other people drifting around. The ground was a little damp, but Abby sat nonetheless. She put her hand against the cool stone and traced the letters that were engraved there.

"Hey, Kate," she said. "I'm sorry I haven't been in a while. I promise I won't pick up a date this time. Stop laughing, Kate! I know I should know better. Picking up a guy in a graveyard. But he ended up being creepy and stalking me, so you were right about him."

She patted the cropped grass right in front of the stone.

"The grass is getting long. I used to hope that it would never grow, cuz that meant you were really gone. But it looks nice like this. Sort of like you're covered, you know? Like you have a nice thick blanket over you."

Abby paused, and for a moment there was silence all around. A bird chirped in the tree overhead.

"A lot of stuff has gone on since I came to visit you last time. And a lot of stuff is the same. Ziva and Tony still fight all the time. But the weird thing is I think they like it. Like it's their way of flirting, you know? It's turned into something more than just fighting. I hope they figure it out some day. They could be really happy. I know you liked Tony, Kate. Even though he was annoying sometimes, and looked through your stuff, he was your partner."

Suddenly, Abby laughed.

"Ziva _still_ gets things wrong. She doesn't understand English idioms even now. She's been watching movies to get them right, and she and Tony have a running game of Scene it. It would be annoying if I didn't know that there was a nine year old kid out there who could beat both of them. Mini-DiNozzo – that's all the world needs!"

Abby chuckled, shaking her head so that her pigtails swayed back and forth. She caught the end of one, and held it up reflectively.

"It's getting long, isn't it?" she said, playing with the end of her hair. "I would cut it a little shorter, but McGee likes it long. He says it suits me. You liked my pigtails, didn't you? Remember the time I tried to put your hair in pigtails and you kept wiggling around?" she sighed. "I would never dare do that to Ziva. I like her and all, it's just she is more of a comrade than she will ever be a best friend. Ziva knows too many ways to kill someone for me to ever think of doing pigtails. McGee, on the other hand…" Abby giggled. "Don't worry, Kate. I would never let McGee have his hair long enough to put it up."

She fussed with the flowers for a moment, straightening them in the jar where they sat, feeling the silkiness of the petals. When she looked up, there were tears in her green eyes.

"I miss you, Kate. I miss the fun we had having girl's nights. I miss dressing you up and taking to you Goth things. You made a horrible Goth, but it was fun. I miss the smile Gibbs had when he looked at you. Did you know he smiled when he looked at you? Bet you didn't. He never smiled the same at anyone, after you were gone."

Abby sniffed, swiping at her nose with her hand.

"I promised myself that I wouldn't cry, when I was here. I shouldn't be crying after two years. I should just remember all the good times we had. But I can't help it. Sometimes, when I'm in my lab I can't help but think you'll walk in at any moment. It's getting easier, but it's still hard."

She stopped for a moment, and struggled to gain control of her emotions. Another solitary tear moved sluggishly down her cheek, and she let it fall without wiping it away.

"But I do have something very important to tell you, Kate. It's the reason I came to talk to you. I mean, I wanted to talk to you anyways. We should have a regular lunch date or something. Not that you can eat lunch. And it may be a little weird to have a picnic in a graveyard. But anyways. I came to tell you something very important. I'm pregnant, Kate. We didn't plan it, but it happened, and now that it has, I'm glad. Tim's really happy. He thinks it'll be a boy, but I know it's a girl. What I came here to tell you is that I'm going to name her Kate, after you. I didn't think you'd mind. It happened suddenly, but…" Abby's smile grew "I'm so happy. I love McGee, and I love the baby, and… life's good. You know? Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm so happy, and you're lying there. But then I think… you would have wanted me to be happy. Caitlin Sara McGee. What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect," came a voice from above her.

Abby looked up, hastily wiping the tears off her face.

"I was just… telling Kate about the baby," she said.

"I know. I heard," McGee sat down beside her. He casually slipped an arm around Abby's waist. "Hey Kate. What do you think about me n' Abby being parents?"

Abby lightly shoved him in the arm.

"We're going to be _great_ parents, Tim!"

He smiled at her, and leaned back.

"Caitlin McGee. I like the sound of that," he said.

"Me too."

They sat in silence in the sunshine for a long time, leaning against one another, just looking at Kate's gravestone. A sense of peace stole over Abby.

The moment ended when McGee's watch beeped.

"Time to go, or we're going to be late for work, and Gibbs will have our heads."

"_Your_ head, McGee. _I'm_ his favorite," Abby said.

"Ok, then. Gibbs will have _my_ head, and our baby will be fatherless. He still hasn't forgiven me for getting you pregnant."

Abby grinned, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I was a willing participant," she said.

McGee stood up, and offered his hand to Abby. He steadied her as she got to her feet. Her hand fluttered unconsciously to her still-flat belly.

"Goodbye, Kate," she said, smiling. McGee put his arms around her, and covered her hand on her belly with his.

"Till next time, Kate," he added.

Abby took one last look at Kate's white tombstone, surrounded by a peaceful ocean of green. The tree cast a welcome shade over it, so that Kate's final resting place was sheltered from the blazing noon sunshine. She let her fingers trace the words _Caitin Marie Todd_ one more time before taking McGee's hand and walking away.

_Author's Note: This was inspired by a thread on the "Totally Addicted to NCIS" Facebook group. We were talking about how it was sad that nobody remembered Kate any more, or went to visit her grave. The idea popped into my head that Abby probably goes to visit it regularly, even though it's now shown in the show. After all, she said she met Mikel in a graveyard. It was probably Kate's! _

_I couldn't help throwing in the Abby/McGee. I thought it would be a nice touch for Abby to want to name her child after Kate. _


End file.
